JB-ONE wrote:80 ml from Origin Tea 90s. I was told it came from either factory 1 or a factory 1 potter. I had someone take a look at it in Chinatown yesterday who sells yixings and they thought it was a Yixing, but they think it was it was made in Taiwan. It does also have those circular rings around the insisde.

Any thoughts?

Which Chinatown is this? I'm more curious to see pots from this Chinatown seller so to have a sense of what kind of expert we're dealing with. My experience is that most vendors tend to bad mouth other vendor's stuff.

Which Chinatown is this? I'm more curious to see pots from this Chinatown seller so to have a sense of what kind of expert we're dealing with. My experience is that most vendors tend to bad mouth other vendor's stuff.[/quote]

Yes, I agree with you. Thats why I posted it here to get an unbiased opinion.It's NYC Chinatown on Mulberry St. I'm sure some people on the board know her. In all fairness though, she really didn't say anything bad. She said it was yixing clay, but that it looked to be made in Taiwan.

Three teapots, all the same size, color and style, but with very different prices. One is vintage, so it's value might be as a piece of history, and the clay looks a bit more natural (subtile variation in color, the quality of the surface) . But beyond that, I've been trying to understand the differences. I have the least expensive of these pots. The inside has radial marks, but the color of the clay is very uniform.

The issue with wheels is that yixing clay can't be shaped in that way because it is too dense. But marks like those on your pot can be formed when turning the pot by hand and cutting it. If it is yixing clay (from what little I know I don't se why it wouldn't be) it can't be shaped on a wheel.

Last edited by futurebird on Mar 26th, '13, 16:13, edited 1 time in total.

The issue with wheels is that yixing clay can't be shaped in that way because it is too dense. But marks like those on your pot can be formed when turning the pot by hand and cutting it. If it is yixing clay (from what little I know I don't se why it wouldn't be) it can't be shaped on a wheel.[/quote]

you can't just look at the bottom, how about the top side of the inner wall?

Yixing are build by slabs, like a puzzle. Marks like the vertical upward strokes are for smoothing and blending the inner joins together. If the build is not by the above construction, it should not be labeled as a yixing. Just IMHO.

The marks are just one way of finishing the inside. Modern handmade or hand finished pots will almost always have the inside detailed pretty neatly (whether smoothed out, or with a slightly textured, but neat looking) surface).

TIM wrote:you can't just look at the bottom, how about the top side of the inner wall?

Yixing are build by slabs, like a puzzle. Marks like the vertical upward strokes are for smoothing and blending the inner joins together. If the build is not by the above construction, it should not be labeled as a yixing. Just IMHO.

Just my personal opinion....but wouldn't that define out of existence how the majority of Yixing pots are made (with molds)? I mean...I'm happy to call those purely handmade and well made (with no mold) yixings masterpiece yixings but....

TIM wrote:you can't just look at the bottom, how about the top side of the inner wall?

Yixing are build by slabs, like a puzzle. Marks like the vertical upward strokes are for smoothing and blending the inner joins together. If the build is not by the above construction, it should not be labeled as a yixing. Just IMHO.

Just my personal opinion....but wouldn't that define out of existence how the majority of Yixing pots are made (with molds)? I mean...I'm happy to call those purely handmade and well made (with no mold) yixings masterpiece yixings but....

TIM wrote:you can't just look at the bottom, how about the top side of the inner wall?

Yixing are build by slabs, like a puzzle. Marks like the vertical upward strokes are for smoothing and blending the inner joins together. If the build is not by the above construction, it should not be labeled as a yixing. Just IMHO.

Just my personal opinion....but wouldn't that define out of existence how the majority of Yixing pots are made (with molds)? I mean...I'm happy to call those purely handmade and well made (with no mold) yixings masterpiece yixings but....